Free These Chains That Bind Me
by Sea Dragon Dreamer
Summary: When a woman tries running from an abusive boyfriend, she turns to a childhood friend and his brothers and crew for help. A Deadliest Catch Fanfic.
1. Chapter 1: Leaving The Pain

This is my second attempt at writing a Deadliest Catch Fanfiction. As mentioned in "Confused Seas", I do not own nor claim to own any real persons, entities, or places. Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners are trademarked to their respective teams/owners and the Major Leauge Baseball association. I give truth to the name "starving artist" as I am reciving no compensation for the stories I post here...all I ask for are honest and constructive criticisms. Reviews are also greatly appreciated. Sorry this first chapter is really super short...I wrote it on just 5 hours of sleep in the last 28 hours while recovering from a nasty hangover.

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The clenched fist came swinging down, landing with a sickening smack onto the side of her face. She cowered down, her arms covering her head in a futile attempt to deflect the raining blows. Her boyfriend's enraged screams blended into a senseless stream of sounds as he continued to land blow after blow on her trembling body.

His furious energy finally spent, Vince stormed from the tiny apartment and left Renée trembling in fear. She waited a full hour before pulling herself upright. Tears streaked down her battered face as she stumbled into the bathroom, flipping up the lid and seat before kneeling to vomit. Empty of both stomach contents and emotion, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she flushed the toilet and sat back.

Tears welled up into her eyes again as realization sank in. _Mother was right...she saw Vince for who he really is. A monster. I should have known too. I mean, Vince is exactly like Daddy is. But he was different before I moved in with him, he never used to be this way. He used to hold me and kiss me. He used to _love_ me. What did I do wrong? Is it because I'm two weeks late for my period and he saw the EPT? Or is what Daddy said true; is everything truely my fault even though it doesn't seem right or fair or make any sense?_

She blinked back the tears and clenched her jaw, shaking her head to clear it of the depressive thoughts as she remembered her sister's parting words three weeks ago. _No. It's not my fault...how were we to know Vince would get laid off or I would get pregnant? Jessica was right, I need to get away from here. _

Swallowing hard against the next wave of nausea, a sudden light filled her eyes and she scrambled to pull an old duffle bag from beneath the bed. Renée tossed all her prized possessions into the duffle and zipped the fading blue sailcloth bag shut before shoving her cell phone into her purse and car keys into her jean pockets.

She paused long enough to throw on an old long-sleeved Arizona Diamondbacks jersey shirt and faded Seattle Mariners ball cap before racing down the rickety stairs and, jamming the duffle into the backseat of the 1995 Toyota Corolla, drove away from the hell she'd been living in for the last two months. As she entered the traffic flowing east on Phoenix's Agua Fria Freeway, Renée punched in a number and held her cell to her ear with a silent prayer; a distracted voice answered and she nearly cried with fearful joy.

"Norman! I-it's Renée Walker…I need your help."


	2. Chapter 2: Finding Friends, New And Old

A/N: The puppy is named after the Norse god, Njord. "The Norse god of winds, sea and fire. He brings good fortune at sea and in the hunt." (Encyclopedia Mythica: Norse Mythology. See: . for more information) This story does have abusive situations, such as in chapter 1, where children and/or women are being abused. I do NOT condone abuse (I abhorr it, actually) but hopefully this can help inspire anyone reading who may know someone in Renée's situation. There is help out there available for victims of abuse. As always constructive criticisms and reviews are much appreciated!

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Hearing Renée Walker's voice on the other end of the line, the pencil fell from Norman's fingers. Of all the people he knew to call him, he never imagined it would be his childhood best friend. A moment of unsettling silence passed before her nervous voice pulled him back from his memories.

"Um, is this a bad time? I can call back at a better time…I-I just needed someone to talk to and you were the first person I could think of. But I can call you back, I'm s-sure you're busy and all." Shaking his head with his heart in his throat, Norman quickly spoke up before Renée could end the call. The last time he'd heard her like this, it was the night before she moved away.

"No, no! I'm just working on some paperwork for the boat. But I need a break anyway; this crap is giving me a headache. What's up, how've you been?" Wincing, he mentally berated himself for asking the last question. _How do you _think _she's been? With that jackass Vince, she must be feeling pretty shitty._ He heard her laugh shakily and take a deep breath before answering.

"I've been better…I, um, I did it. I finally did it. Norman, I finally left Vince! I left him and, oh God Norman! I'm so scared! I don't know why I did it…he's just going to hunt me down and drag me back to Arizona. What am I going to do? I can't do this anymore, Norman! I can't live like this anymore. What should I do…oh, God, what _can_ I do?" As she trailed off, he could faintly hear the buzzing whir of traffic and blasts of vehicle horns. Rubbing his free hand through his light brown hair, Norman sat back and stared out the window of his home office.

"Um, well, where are you? Do you know where you're heading? Maybe I can help you make a plan for where to stay. If you need to, you can come up to Seattle and stay at my house until you find a place of your own." Grimacing again, he took of his glasses before pulling a hand down across his eyes. The awkward silence was another stark reminder of her predicament.

"I'm…I'm, um, on my way to Seattle right now…I didn't know where else to go. I…I thought I might look up Jessica when I got there, but that won't be for another couple days. I just left Phoenix and I think I might go across California to the coast and go straight up along the coast."

As Norman listened to her explain the route she'd picked on the spot, he promised himself he would do whatever he could to help her get through the experience. When she had finished speaking, Norman repeated his promise to Renée. Although he knew next to nothing about the happenings of her life over the past twenty years, save what rumors he'd heard from old acquaintances, something felt right to him as he verbalized his heart-felt promises of help to the terrified woman.

With little encouragement, Renée had him talking about what he'd been doing with his life since they last saw each other. She had spent her first ninteen years playing with him and his two brothers, watching as they'd gone out to sea with their father to learn the fisherman's trade. Every time they went out, she would stand and wave goodbye; the golden haired girl was the last person Norman saw as they departed and the first person he saw upon their return.

Hearing the doorbell ring at the front, followed immediately by the sounds of three children's voices calling his name, Norman propped his elbow on the edge of his desk and rested his face in the palm of his hand.

"Hey, Renée? It's been really great talking to you again. You remember my youngest brother, Edgar? Well, he and his family are here so I have to go now. But I've missed you, and I really look forward to seeing you again. Will you call me when you stop for the night? I worry about you, and…I-I just miss you." Hearing footsteps racing up the hardwood stairs, his courage had failed and his last statement sounded lame in his ears.

In the silence following, his niece and two nephews paused in the doorway of his office. They noticed he was still on he phone, and quietly shushed each other. He was grateful for the phone hiding his burning ear and pink cheek. When Renée still didn't respond, he feared the connection was lost and he faltered for something to say.

"So…I-I'll talk to you later then?" A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he heard her voice confirm that she'd call him when she stopped for sleep. He listened to her disconnect the call with a soft 'goodbye' and he hung up, returning the cell phone to the holster at his hip. Rubbing his face with both hands, he sighed deeply again and flinched as his niece wrapped her arms around his neck.

Amy giggled as she planted a kiss on his still pink cheek. Pulling away, she studied his sad face and picked at a loose thread on Norman's sleeve.

"Uncle Norman, why do you look so sad?" Eric and Logan joined their sister at Norman's side as he struggled to find an answer. Eric nudged Amy in the awkward silence and chided her as only a brother can.

"Amy, you're not supposed to ask stupid questions like that – it's rude! What if he doesn't want to talk about it?" Amy crossed her arms and stared defiantly at her brother. Before she could fire off a retort, Norman put a calming hand on either child's shoulder.

"It's all right Eric, I don't mind. I just got off the phone with a friend I haven't talked to in a long time. She…she's in some trouble and needs some help with something." He ignored the boyish snickers his nephews made when they heard his voice catch. Instead, he rose and ushered his youngest brother's children from his office and followed them downstairs.

"Where are your parents? I know we talked about you three staying here for the rest of the summer, but I didn't expect it to be so soon." Eric grinned as his uncle glanced into the small foyer for luggage.

"Well, they wanted it to be a surprise, but – ow! Logan, why'd you kick me?!" The four year old scowled up at his eldest sibling as he shoved a finger to his lips.

"Shh! Its supposed to be secret, Eric! Only mom and dad can tell him!" Norman stopped short as he followed the kids into the kitchen. The three children turned back to stare at him with grinning faces as they succeeded in their own secret mission of perplexing their uncle.

"What's supposed to be secret? Eric, what is Logan talking about?" The children giggled excitedly at their uncle's confusion; Eric shook his head, clapping a hand to Amy's mouth to keep her from spilling the news. They roared with laughter as Norman grunted in wide-eyed surprise as a sudden weight landed on his back. He doubled over to keep from sending Edgar and himself crashing into the kitchen table.

Reaching around, Norman pulled his youngest brother from his back and into a headlock. Edgar struggled to free himself from Norman's strong yet playful grip and gave a yell of mock frustration as Norman's knuckles rubbed against his scalp. He craned his neck to shoot a pleading look to his children, who were rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Hey, you're not going to let Uncle Norman get the better of your dad are yah?! Please, help! Argh! Where the hell'd _that_ come from?!" Edgar's playful shouts turned to genuine surprise as a small bundle of fuzz came tearing out from nowhere and plowed into his legs.

Norman released Edgar and fell backwards, holding his sides as he broke down laughing as the small puppy cheerfully attacked Edgar. Hearing Norman's laughter, the puppy turned and pounced onto Norman's chest, licking at the tears of laughter as they rolled down his pink face. Norman gently held the puppy as he sat up, fighting for breath.

"When'd you get the puppy, Norm?" Edgar inquired as his children swarmed around the excited creature squirming in Norman's lap. Norman lifted a shoulder in a silent shrug as he brushed hair back from his eyes.

"I found him on my pack porch a couple days ago and I didn't have it in me to get rid of him. I've started calling him Njord, and I think it fits him. Runs like the wind, loves the water, and he's full of spunk. Hey, speaking of spunk, where's Louise?" Edgar cast a wry grin at his children as he let the suspense drag on. Rapping a gentle knuckle on his brother's head, Norman gave Edgar a look that said "out with it already".

"Well, you know how we recently renewed our vows, right? Well, we'd wanted to go on our second honeymoon so she's finishing up the packing. She wanted to go see Hawaii, so we're going to go for two weeks." Edgar glanced down at Njord, who had crawled into his lap, and stroked the puppy's rough fur. Norman studied the guilty look on his brother's face and sighed.

"When were you planning on leaving?" Edgar's head snapped up and a hopeful grin spread across his face, "we were hoping to leave next week. It's just one week before the kids would've come over anyways. Sig did say that he would take the kids for that week if you didn't want to, and would bring them over the following week like we originally planned." The hopeful grin faded from his face as he noticed the distracted look on Norman's face. Quickly picking up on tension, Edgar nodded to himself as he mentally made that decision for all of them.

"I'll call Sig and tell him the kids'll stay with him for the first week, and that they'll come over here for the rest of the summer. You call me when you want to talk about it…whatever _it_ is." Norman played with his lower lip a moment, nodding in silent thanks at his brother's quick decision. He took a breath and then hesitated before starting again.

"Kids, will you take Njord outside and see if he needs to pee? There's a box of puppy toys by the back door, so take a couple balls and throw them for him too. He'll like that, I think. I need to talk to your dad for a minute. We'll watch you from the windows." Taking their cue from their father's nod, Eric called Njord to follow him and Amy and Logan followed closely behind Njord.

Waiting until he heard the back French door click shut behind Amy, Norman stood and crossed the room to silently watch his niece and nephews play with the puppy. Edgar came up to stand quietly next to him, patiently waiting for the words to come.

"You remember when we were kids there was this girl that lived down the street from us? Old Man Walker's little girl, Renée; the girl that was always the last person we saw waving goodbye when we went out on the boat with dad and the first person we saw on the way back in? Well, she called me up before you got here. Edgar…she said she needs my help and that she's on her way to Seattle right now. I want to help her, but what am I supposed to do? How do I help her when I know all the shit she's been through all her life?"

Worry and concern creased his brow and his brown eyes were troubled as he turned to look his brother in the eye. Edgar chewed his lip before meeting Norman's gaze.

"Renée knows you're a good man. You were always her best friend; she and you did practically everything together. She trusted you completely when we were growing up, and she obviously still trusts you now. So, what you do is just be yourself. The rest'll come with time." Edgar turned back to watch Eric, Amy and Logan praise Njord for relieving himself outside and smiled.

"Just be the best friend you always were, and she'll be all right."

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Copyright Alissa Franko 2009


	3. Chapter 3: Livin on a Prayer

A/N: This chapter is named after the song Bon Jovi sings called "Livin' On A Prayer", and all lyrics/music are copyrighted to the songwriter/owner. I gratefully borrow the song's name and lyrics, and in no way, shape or form claim to own them...because I obviously don't. Sorry this was once again a short chapter, but it felt right as a short chapter. I'll make it up to you in chapter 4. Constructive criticisms and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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In her attempt to put as much distance between Vince and herself as possible, Renée drove through the night without stopping for rest. Her longest break lasted only twenty minutes at a small California town McDonalds where she stopped to vomit before getting a bite to eat. Now, as the sun rose over the Rocky Mountain Range near the Oregon-California line, Renée felt safe enough to stop for a couple hours' rest.

Pulling off at the next exit, she followed the signs to a low-key motel near the highway. She checked in with cash and a fake name at the front office before snatching the key from the clerk's heavily lacquered hand and hurrying to her room. Locking the door behind her, she made sure he blinds were closed before sitting on the edge of the bed and punching Norman's number into her phone.

"_Hi, you've reached my phone. Leave your name, number and a message and I'll call you back._" Norman's voice was followed by a metallic screech and Renée faltered. She stuttered a few times before she could spit out a coherent message explaining where she was and that she would be back on the road in a couple hours. Renée lay back on the threadbare comforter and, closing her eyes, was soon fast asleep.

_**Skreeeech! The sound of squealing rubber was followed by the sudden metallic crunch of the two cars colliding. Furious yelling and screaming had Renée cringing in fear. She curled up into a tight ball, arms wrapped protectively around her head as she heard the punches land on the unfortunate recipient. Trembling in fear, she knew he would turn to her next. The three-year-old girl took small comfort in her five-year-old sister's embrace as they heard their mother's pleas of forgiveness and begs of mercy from their father.**_

_**A six-year-old Renée stood before her father in the living room, staring at the worn carpet beneath her feet as her father screamed obscenities at her. She'd accidentally spilled juice on his favorite magazine as she and her eight-year-old sister, Jessica, were playing tag inside. She mumbled her sincere apologies and gasped as her face jerked violently to the left. Tears leaked from her eyes as her cheek burned and blood trickled from her nose and the corner of her mouth. She managed to bite back the sobs building inside her as blow upon blow began hitting her small body.**_

**"**_**What the fuck were you thinking?! We can't afford to have children right now! In case you've forgotten, I don't have a fucking job! And last I checked neither do you! Stupid, fucking moron! How could you have let yourself get knocked up?" Vince's words were enunciated with blows about her head and shoulders as she cowered against the dresser. Throwing the EPT stick bearing positive results at the shaking Renée, Vince stormed from the one room apartment and slammed the door behind him.** _

Jerking awake with fright, Renée gazed around the room, searching in panic for the man who wasn't there. As her racing heart slowed, she looked to her cell phone and a faint smile appeared as she noticed whose call she missed. Quickly she flipped the phone open and punched his number in, but hesitated as her finger hovered over the green send button. As quickly as she opened it, the phone was flipped shut again.

Two hours later Renée found herself showered, dressed in new clothes from a Wal-Mart sale rack and driving north across the California-Oregon line while munching on McDonalds french-fries. _"Whoa-oh, we're half-way there/Whoa-oh, livin on a prayer/whoa-oh! Take my hand and we'll make it I swear/ Whoa-oh, livin on a prayer!"_ Bon Jovi's sudden voice singing out from her cell phone caused her to jump and swerve across the striped line.

As the chorus to "Living on a Prayer" rang out again, Renée steadied herself and regained control of the car before plucking the phone from the passenger seat and offered a shaky 'hello'. Norman's relieved sigh sent chills tingling along her spine from the top of her scalp to her tail bone and back.

"I got worried…I tried calling earlier and kept missing you. Is everything okay, are _you_ okay? Ow! Njord, that's my foot you're eating. Here, eat this…sorry about that Renée. I found this puppy the other day and he seems to think my feet taste good, for whatever reason." A giggle found its way from Renée as Norman explained the cause for his sudden distraction. She told him where she was and listened as Norman shyly rattled off things he thought she might like to do once she arrived in Seattle. Abruptly he stopped as a thought occurred to him.

"Or you could just hang out…. it's up to you. I, um, I told Edgar that you were coming up and he suggested that you and I could meet up at his place for dinner one night before he and Louise leave for vacation next week. Sig, June and their two girls'll probably join us too. I don't know if you met Louise or June…but they're nice ladies. I think you'll like them." Norman trailed off again, settling into an awkward silence once again. Renée chewed on a chicken nugget and swallowed, washing it down with a sip of soda.

"I'd like that. Dinner with you and your brothers and their families, I mean. And…and spending time with you. Thank you. This means a lot to me…the world. I really appreciate you helping me…I really do." Agreeing to call him again once she stopped for rest, Renée disconnected the call and replaced the phone on the passenger seat. Cruising down the interstate, she was oblivious to the beautiful scenery passing by in her haste to put more miles between the life she'd been living and the new one awaiting her.

For the moment, she was truly living on a prayer.

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Story copyrighted Alissa Franko 2009


	4. Chapter 4: Confronting the Fear

A/N: This chapter has been a struggle to write....Norman just _has_ to play difficult, doesn't he? Hehe, but that's partially why I chose to write him...because he _is_ such a challenge. Anyhoo, I decided to be evil and leave off with a cliffhanger. I'm going to be out of town next weekend so I don't know if I'll get chapter 5 up before then or not.

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Dusk had fallen on Renée as she passed the sign welcoming her into Tacoma, Washington. Pulling into a gas station, she tucked her hair up under her ball cap before pulling it low over her eyes and hurried inside the convenience store to pre-pay for a tank of gas. She slapped down the crumpled bills and muttered the pump number with a downcast look before rushing back outside. As she waited for the gas to finish pumping, she dialed Norman's number again and listened to the line ring with growing anxiety. The robotic sound of his message machine was cut in half by Norman's breathless 'hello'.

"Hey, it's um, it's me. Renée, I mean. I'm in Tacoma right now. I…" Her voice trailed off and she swallowed hard against the sudden sense of uncertainty welling up in her chest. She missed the sound of the pump clicking off as she watched a man cross the parking lot and climb into a beat up Jeep Wrangler. She turned her back to him and hid her face as the man roared past her and into the last of the evening rush hour traffic. Her free hand clenched into a trembling fist as she fought to control the panicky fear coursing through her as the honking horns and angrily yelled curses echoed with the shouts of her past.

Norman's worried voice broke through her troubled memories and pulled her back into the present. She reassured him she was still there as she replaced the gas cap and went back inside for her change. Half running back to the car, she sat back in the driver's seat and exhaled a panicky sigh.

"Oh, God. Norman, I thought I just saw him. I was getting gas and I swear I saw a man that looked just like him get into a Jeep just like his. I made a huge mistake coming here…. maybe I should just go back. I shouldn't be here; I shouldn't have dragged you and your family into this. I'm so sorry…" She stopped as Norman's soothing voice penetrated the panic attack storming through her over-anxious mind.

"I'm going to give you directions to my house. You did the right thing, Renée…I'm going to help you get through this, with or without my brothers and crew. I promise you that, right here and now. Vince is not going to hurt you any more…I won't let him." Digging through her purse, she grabbed a pen and jotted down the directions Norman gave her on a clean McDonalds napkin; repeating them back to him, she felt her panic attack lessen a little as she pulled away from the pump and eased into traffic with the green light.

Norman encouraged her to remain on the line until she pulled into his driveway five hours later, describing, among other things, the puppy he'd adopted from the streets and explaining how he'd agreed to watch his youngest brother's kids for the remainder of the summer. He went on to talk about some of the things he'd been thinking about doing with the kids before they went back to school. By the time she pulled up the gravel drive, she was smiling and laughing at some of the pranks he'd pulled on his brothers and crewmates.

Hanging up the phone as she turned the car off, she stepped out into the cool night air as Norman rose from his seat on the wooden porch. He clung tight to the leash he'd secured around Njord's small neck, and both laughed as the small mutt attacked the orange canvas leash with a playful growl. As Renée approached, he gave up his attack and plowed happily into the newcomer's ankles and yipped a couple times in excitement before sitting patiently on her feet.

Norman's happy smile fell as he caught sight of the fading bruises on Renée's face and neck; the healing cut across the bridge of her nose was pink and looked painful, as did the split in her lower lip. A fury he'd never experienced soured his gut as he studied his childhood friend. Passing her Njord's leash, he walked around and pulled her duffle from the backseat, surprised at the lightness of the bag. Sweeping a welcoming arm towards his front porch, he led her inside.

"I made up the spare room for you, so we can put your bag in there before I show you around. I set out some towels in case you wanted to take a shower. I wasn't sure when you'd get here, so I already ate dinner. But I can fix up something if you're hungry, no problem at all. Um, or I can fix up something to eat while you, um…get settled in and then I can show you around the house after you eat."

Leading the way upstairs, he opened the door to her room and flipped on the light. Although it was obvious that a bachelor fisherman furnished it, the room had a comforting feel to it. The bed stood along one wall while an oak dresser and small bookcase rested against the opposite wall, next to the single closet. The wall opposite the door held two large windows and the drawn curtains matched the bedspread and area rug partially hidden by the antique footlocker at the foot of the queen-sized bed.

Setting her bag down on the foot of the bed, he quickly showed her where the nearest bathroom was before awkwardly excusing himself to fix some dinner for her. Pausing halfway down the stairs, he turned back to her.

"Um…sorry. What would you like to eat?" An embarrassed smile crossed her face as she shrugged a tender shoulder. As she awkwardly asked for pancakes, she blushed as he smiled warmly and descended the stairs with a 'you got it'. She returned to the room Norman gave her and gently closed the door behind her. Renée squeezed her eyes shut against the tears threatening to fall, sniffling as a couple warm beads trailed down her cheeks. With a sigh she picked up the washcloth and returned to the bathroom down the hallway.

Soaking the cloth with warm water, she removed her ball cap and gingerly dabbed it over her healing face and neck. With a quick glance out into the hallway, she closed the door to finish freshening up before rejoining Norman. Gazing at her long, tangled hair, she frowned and searched the bathroom for a hairbrush. Finding a travel-sized brush in one of the drawers, she pulled it out and smiled faintly to herself as she drew it through her golden-brown hair.

"Renée? Food's done, whenever you're ready." Renée flinched as Norman's soft knock was followed by his gentle voice. She waited until she heard his footsteps retreat back downstairs before opening the door and making her way to the foot of the stairs. Glancing to either side of the foyer, she followed the hallway to the right and found herself in the open kitchen and dining room that overlooked a large grassy yard.

Stomach growling, Renée sat in the chair Norman held out for her. With a murmured thank you, she tucked into the homemade buttermilk pancakes with an appreciative appetite. She glanced up at Norman's smiling face as he passed her a glass of milk and returned his warm smile. After the briefest moment of eye contact, her gray eyes returned to her sticky plate as she thanked him.

Norman returned to his chair across from her, the smile fading a little at her submissive reaction but he set aside the sadness it caused and slowly drank his cup of coffee as she finished eating. He watched her from under hooded eyes as she leaned back and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt in the silence. The steady sound of Njord's breathing as he slept in the wicker basket near the back door had a soothing effect on the tense woman and Norman rose quietly as Renée stared sleepily at the plate before her. She barely registered the plate disappear and water running as Norman finished cleaning up the kitchen before returning to the table.

Sliding a calloused hand across the table, Norman's worried brown eyes met Renée's haunted grays as he gave her hand a light, comforting squeeze. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Anytime you want to talk or need anything, please let me know. I'm here for you, day or night." With a pounding heart, nerves jangling anxiously, she struggled to control her fears as she gently pulled her hand from his.

"I-Thank you. I appreciate that…and everything you've done for me. I'm sorry I've put this burden on you…I, I just didn't know where else to go." Wiping the sudden tears from her cheeks, her gaze returned to the tabletop.

"You're welcome here anytime, even when I'm out fishing. Tomorrow we'll go get you a house key made for you while we go run our errands. You can stay as long as you want to, it doesn't matter how long." For a few minutes they made a preliminary plan for the next day before Norman suggested they retire for the night. Flipping out the lights as they left the kitchen, Norman leaned down over to stroke Njord's small head. With a weary sigh, the puppy followed Renée up the stairs and, licking her fingers affectionately, trailed behind Norman before the fisherman closed his door.

Cracking her door open, Renée set her duffel on the footlocker and ripped the tags off the cheap cotton pajama set before hastily changing and crawling into bed in the darkness. A calm silence spread through the house, briefly broken by the click of nails on hardwood floor and a soft grunt as Njord curled up against the small of Renée's back; both puppy and woman took comfort in the other's warmth.

****

Sunrise found Norman up and dressed with a cup of coffee in hand. Poking his head into Renée's room, he smiled sadly as he watched her sleeping with a bruised arm draped over Njord's side. Emotions tumbled in a confused avalanche in his gut; anger battled against sadness and pride for the battered woman. With a quiet sigh, Norman returned downstairs to finish reading the newspaper and drink his coffee.

Flipping through the front section, he paused with his coffee mug halfway to his lips when a knock sounded at the front door. A quick glance at his watch confirmed the unsettling feeling beginning to churn in his stomach. _Who the hell would be at the door at a quarter to six in the morning?_ Another knock sounded impatiently at the door, and Norman cast a glance up the stairs as Renée whispered his name. She had pulled on one of his old robes and clung to an alert Njord; the puppy's hackles were raised and his tiny teeth were bared in a silent snarl. Norman motioned for her to return to her room with a whispered, "shut your door; I'll get you when I'm done here."

Peering out the narrow window beside the door, he pulled the door open a fraction as the man outside raised his fist to pound again. Although Norman's expression was neutral, annoyance at being disturbed at this hour flashed briefly in his eyes. The man on the other side of the door tried pushing his way inside, but ended up scowling as the Seattle born Norwegian barred his entrance.

"If you're selling something, I'm not interested and neither are the neighbors so you can save us both our time and just leave. You might have better luck in the next county east of here." As Norman began to swing the door shut, Vince's hand stopped the heavy oak door before it latched and pushed. The annoyance quickly gave way to anger at the other man's persistence and it showed in the set of Norman's sea-worn features.

"Mister, what do you want? Make it quick because right now you're trespassing on private property." Norman kept a tight grip on the door as he held the man's darkening gaze. When Vince spoke, it was low and dangerous.

"You have something that belongs to me, and I want her back! So where the fuck is she! I know she's here, so just tell her to hurry her ass out here so we can leave you alone." Shaking his head, Norman refused to budge again as Vince tried pushing past him. Norman's patience snapped and he glared angrily at Vince through the partially opened door.

"Last I checked, there hasn't been slavery for nearly a hundred years. I don't know what you're talking about…but I wouldn't give you anything except an escort off my property, even if I _did_ know. You have five seconds to get off my property and on the road before I show you the way, starting now!" As Vince's hand quickly shot towards Norman's face, the fisherman neatly caught him by the wrist and slammed the door hard against the trapped forearm. A sickening crack echoed in the small foyer as the force of the solid oak door broke both bones in Vince's arm. Norman caught the door as it bounced back, and he glared down at the black haired man doubled over in pain. He ignored Vince's shrill screams of agonoy as he gave his final warning.

"Last warning! Off my property!" In his anger, Norman slammed the door shut and twisted the deadbolt shut. He'd taken five steps forward when the narrow window shattered; turning he watched as Vince reached inside to twist the deadbolt and shove the door open. In moments Norman had reappeared from the kitchen with a pair of large fillet knives in hand and was striding toward Vince.

As he saw the furious Norman closing the distance between them, he reached around with his left hand and fumbled awkwardly at something tucked in his jeans' waistband. Pulling out a pistol, he cocked the hammer and aimed it straight for Norman's chest. A triumphant grin was brightened by a psychotic glint in Vince's eyes as he fought to steady the pistol aimed at the man before him. Anxiously licking his lips, he repeated his question as he slowly lowered the gun's hammer before drawing it back again.

"I won't ask again…where is Renée? Tell me the truth, or I swear to _GOD_ I will fucking _kill_ you!" Norman's eyes flashed from anger to surprise to a wide-eyed flinch as a deafening report boomed through the front of his house. Time seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl as both knives clattered to the hardwood floor from nerveless fingers and he stared numbly over Vince's shoulder at the woman behind him, revolver in both her trembling hands. His breath grew ragged as his heart pounded in fear and he met her horrified stare.

_Oh no, please God, NO! Not now, not like this!_

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Copyright Alissa Franko 2009


	5. Chapter 5: Chasing a Dream

_**The world around him lengthened and stalled as he watched Vince pull the pistol from behind his back and aimed it at his chest. A sudden movement pulled his eyes from Vince's psychotic look and he took an involuntary step forward as he watched Renée raise his revolver and train the shaking gun at her abusive ex-boyfriend's head. The sound of pointblank gunfire drowned out his cry and he stared numbly at Renée as a pained look mingled with confusion crossed Vince's face. **_

_**Flinching as another two gunshots broke through the thick fog surrounding his brain, a spear of burning pain ripped through his chest and abdomen. He stared up to watch Vince crumple to the ground, senseless. His pulse roared in his ears as, looking down at his wounds, he watched the dark spots spreading across his green shirt. Lungs burning, he finally remembered to breathe and his vision blurred, his head spinning as he gulped in a deep breath against the sudden searing pain. Although his head began to clear a little with each gasp, the effort to breathe was agony. He swallowed hard as he numbly allowed Renée to lay him back on the hallway floor, watching as she spoke into the cordless phone.**_

_**He swallowed hard, the warm metallic taste of blood souring his stomach and struggled to remain awake. A warm tongue rasped against his cheek and he weakly forced his eyes open to see Njord peering into his face with a worried whimper. Renée's teary face appeared above him and he felt a tear trickle from the corner of his eye as he coughed to clear his lung. Struggling to rise when she turned away from him, the sight of paramedics wheeling a stretcher into his home swam as another hack racked his body.**_

With a painful gasp followed by a groan, Norman half-rose in bed and gazed around his darkened room as he slowly became re-oriented with his surroundings. Leaning back on his right arm, he scrubbed his left hand over his face before it unconsciously checked the raw scars on his chest and abdomen. It had been three months since Vince had shot him, yet Norman's near death experience haunted him worse than anything he'd experience on the Bering Sea had.

A muffled sound from down the hall pulled his attention from the nightmare fading from his sleepy mind and Norman checked the alarm clock on his nightstand. He lay back with a tired groan and rubbed a hand over his face again. _Two-thirty…she's back in the bathroom at two-thirty in the fucking morning. This pregnancy is kicking her in the ass, and we all know it._ A smile broke through his sleepy mind as he thought about Renée. _Though, both Louise_ and_ June_ did_ say that the vomiting pretty much goes away after the first trimester, which should be only a couple more days now, thank God._

Grimacing as his tender wounds complained against his rising, Norman threw on a threadbare t-shirt and limped barefoot down the hallway. Sliding down the wall next to Renée's bathroom, he scratched Njord's head as the growing puppy flopped across his legs. He knocked lightly against the door as the toilet flushed and whispered softly.

"Renée? How are you holding up, sweetie?" He looked up from staring blankly through the banister rails when the bathroom door opened and light spilled out into the hallway. Renée poked her head out, toothbrush in mouth scrubbing away the aftertaste. Lifting the dozing puppy from his lap, Norman rose and followed her back into the bathroom. He lowered the toilet bowl cover and sat with a sleepy sigh, unconsciously rubbing at the healing scar in his abdomen. He flinched and looked up as Renée reached down to take his hand away from his side.

"I'm okay…I'm just having a little trouble keeping things down. It'll get better in another day or two…that's what the doctor says anyways." A faint smile touched her lips as Norman ran a fond hand tenderly over her swelling belly. She recalled a conversation she'd had the other day when Louise and June had taken her to her second pre-natal appointment and she squeezed Norman's hand. Meeting his gaze, she forced herself to hold it as she spoke.

"She says I'm going to have twins…that's why I'm starting to show so early. I think…I think I want to keep them. At first I didn't want to…I wanted nothing to do with them, because _he _put them there, you know? But now…." Renée broke eye contact and gazed at Norman's hand resting lightly over her rounding belly. Although it was a light caress, she could sense his protective nature through the touch. With a pounding heart, she reached out and touched her friend's bearded cheek. Taking a deep breath, her voice trembled a little as she spoke again.

"He's gone now, right? He can't hurt them or me…not anymore. That's what I keep telling myself at night…it's hard to convince myself that he's really dead, but I shot him so many times…and then the knife…" As her body began shaking with uncontrollable sobs, Norman rose and gently wrapped his arms around her; holding her close, he kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.

"Uncle Norm? Is Miss Renée okay? Why are you both crying?" The sound of Amy's groggy voice brought Norman's head up with a gasp and a shaky laugh at his own fright. He wiped the tears from his eyes and tried smiling comfortingly at his niece, nodding.

"Yeah, we're okay. She just told me some pretty good news…" Glancing down at Renée, who nodded with a distant smile as she pulled away from his tearstained chest, he went to kneel before Amy to tell her the good news. "Miss Renée is gonna have twins! We're crying because we're happy." Amy chewed her bottom lip as her green eyes studied both adults, doubt shining in her sleepy eyes.

"It didn't sound like happy crying to me…when Daddy asked Mommy to marry him again, those were happy tears. But right now, you weren't crying happy tears…not really, were you?" Catching the sad look in both adults' faces, she nodded and hugged her stuffed bunny closer to her chest. As Norman opened his mouth to answer her question, Amy put a hand on his shoulder and stared him straight in the eye.

"We'll talk about it more in the morning. You should get some sleep, you don't look too good." Turning, she walked back to the room she shared with her brothers as Norman's jaw worked soundlessly before calling softly after her: "It's three A.M! Technically, it _is_ morning!" Amy turned back to her uncle in the doorway with a look that was so much like her father's and replied, "It's not morning until after the sun is up. It's still dark outside…so _technically,_ it's _not_ morning. Good _night_, Uncle Norman. Good night, Miss Renée."

Leaving the door cracked behind her, the little girl left her uncle kneeling in the bathroom doorway with his mouth hanging open in disbelief. It took Norman a few moments to collect himself from the shock of hearing his niece speaking so bluntly and when he did, he could only shake his head with a bemused chuckle. Renée came up behind him and slipped her hand into his. He looked down at her, a pleasant warmth spreading through his chest as she smiled up at him. _God, I love her._ The thought struck him suddenly as he gazed into her eyes, and his emotional brain battled the rational over how he should act upon this realization.

Renée watched the confused emotions flash in Norman's eyes with kind amusement sparkling in her eyes. Standing on her tiptoes, she placed a kiss on his cheek with a murmured 'goodnight' before slipping past him to her room. Norman looked down at Njord lying by the bathroom door and sighed; rubbing a hand through his hair, he voiced his confusion to the puppy watching him with a sleepy brown eye.

"What am I going to do, Njord? I love her, but…" Sighing deeply in the back of his throat, Norman shook his head as he flipped out the bathroom light and returned to bed with Njord on his heels. As Norman drifted off to sleep, he stroked the puppy's side as he pressed himself against his human's side. Sleepily, Norman finished the thought he'd started with a yawn.

"I love her, but I don't want to loose her because of it."

****

"The number to the sat phone is on the fridge along with June, Louise, Angela, and Denise's numbers. They said that if you need anything, anything at all, just call and they're there for you. Don't tell them I told you this, but I think they're really looking forward to helping us get ready for the babies. I think one of them mentioned something about a – ow! Oh, June! Hi, I didn't see you there." Norman grinned as he winked at Renée and held up his hands in mock defense at June's sidelong glare from where she stood saying goodbye to Sig.

"Not another word about it, Norman Hansen or I swear you will have diaper duty for three months straight! Understood?" Louise struggled to keep a straight face as she teasingly chastised her brother-in-law. Everyone laughed as Norman tugged on the bill of his stained ball cap in mock deference to Louise and June. Hugging both women, he whispered a serious request into their ears: "Take care of her? Please?" They pulled away, kind and understanding smiles on the women's faces as they agreed eagerly to his plea.

"We'll take good care of her, we promise. You just worry about catching the crab and getting home as soon as you guys can." Norman nodded appreciatively at June's promise and thanked her softly as Sig patted his brother on the shoulder, indicating he was ready to leave without trying to rush him. Norman gently pulled Renée into a hesitant hug and gently kissed her temple. Renée hugged him close as the tears threatened to fall, her breath growing ragged as she struggled to be strong.

"I'll miss you…. I, I miss you already, and you haven't even left yet. Please, take care of yourself out there?" Norman leaned back in her arms and gazed down into her eyes. Nodding with a hoarsely whispered promise, he gave in to his impulse and, pulling off the cap, placed a hesitant mouth over hers. He froze when her sharp intake of breath took the air from his lungs, and he tried pulling away with a sinking heart. Renée took another deep breath and pulled his head back towards hers and met his lips with more confidence. The cheers and whistles of his crew had Norman's ears burning bright red and he rested his forehead against Renée's with a smile on his face.

"We'll finish this up when I get back in December." Hesitating as they pulled away, Norman took both her hands in his trembling ones and swallowed hard a couple times before managing to continue. Leaning in close again, he whispered so only she could hear, "Renée…I love you and I always will. I…I realize this might be too soon for you and I respect whatever answer you give me. I know that I'm not asking properly now and I promise that I'll do it right when we get back, but, before I leave, I would like to know…will you marry me?" Sig's impatient voice urged Norman to hurry up over the loudhailer and he half-turned to wave a hand blindly at his eldest brother, signaling he understood before turning back to Renée.

"You don't have to answer now…I mean, I'll wait as long as it takes until you're ready. I just wanted to ask before I left. Like I said, I'll propose right when we get back…in front of the crew and the ladies…or just you and me. But I'll do it right." Butterflies flew a furious warpath through the fisherman's gut as Renée leaned up to kiss him one last time with a smile that melted his heart, breathing a tentative message into his ear. Her whispered words echoed in his ears as she pulled away and he swallowed hard, a hopeful gleam in his eyes that was encouraged by the smile on her face.

Renée stepped back to join the crew's wives and watched as Norman climbed aboard the _Northwestern_; waving to the crew as the lines were thrown and the fishing vessel pulled away from the docks. Lowering her hand to her belly, she caressed the rounded flesh and prayed for the safe return of the first men to genuinely care for her. As the white and blue-trimmed boat disappeared from view, a tear trickled down her cheek as she finally recognized the cause for the sudden emptiness in her heart.

**A/N: I realize this chapter may seem a little sappy towards the end, but my muses are all out of focus as the time for my trip is finally here. Chapter 6 is currently waiting to be edited and Chapter 7 is still in progress, but hopefully by the time I get back from my 4-day vacation my muses will have had a restful break from their inspirational duties. But yeah, this chapter takes us on a slightly different twist than what many of you may have been expecting. If the story is starting to meander down the road leading to bodice-ripper status...please let me know because that's not really where I'm wanting it to go. Either way, constructive criticisms and reviews are always welcome. I'm thinking that after Chapter 7, there may only be two chapters left. But we'll see when I sit down to edit Chapters 6 and 7. Thanks again for reading, I appreciate it. By the way, do you prefer the author's notes at the beginning or the end of the chapters? I'm kind of experimenting with it at the end of the chapter to see which I like better...**

* * *

Copyright Alissa Franko 2009


	6. Chapter 6: Dangerous Seas

_"Winds 70 from the northwest; seas 50 feet."_ Sig groaned as the weather warning was issued for the third straight week. Edgar's voice relaying the current string's last count pulled the skipper's attention from the radio and back to where it was needed most. The weary man scratched the stubble covering his chin as he debated his next move for the umpteenth time. Sig went through the same argument in the exact order before settling on the same decision he'd made five seconds ago. Lifting the handset from the overhead dash, the loudhailer was switched on with a high-pitched beep.

"Set 'er back. We're moving to our next string, and we've got some nasty weather moving in, so be ready!" A sadistic grin cracked Sig's weary face and he gave a rough laugh as Edgar and Nick hollered up a hollow 'roger'. Glancing up at the cameraman across the wheelhouse, he laughed again.

"They really _hate_ it when I do this to them, but right now they're so tired they really don't give a shit anymore. They're like robots down there, exactly how I like 'em. Hahaha. Only hitch is that they're starting to get a little pissy with each other, but that's their problem." Sig laughed again as he turned his attention back to the weather outside and just keeping his boat upright. The skipper muttered something incoherently under his breath; the only thing the cameraman made out was a faint "fifty foot seas, my ass."

****

Working the rail, hook in hand, Norman instantly sized up the force needed to get the picking hook through the winds blowing head on and in contact with the buoy bag line. A soft grunt was swallowed by the storm as he let the hook fly and a satisfied smile touched his lips as Sig's voice broke through the storm to congratulate him on the nice shot. Although the gunshot wounds were completely healed, nasty weather such as that battering the _Northwestern_ left Norman's right shoulder stiff.

A wave cresting over the rail doused the man with frigid water and he flipped off his four crewmates as they doubled over with laughter, bringing stronger fits of laughter as Sig throttled the boat through the storm towards their next string. Despite the constant stormy weather that plagued entire crab grounds, the fishing had remained good and the crew's spirits were high.

During the brief respite, the crew retreated inside for both liquid and solid fuel known as coffee and food. As they settled around the galley, Edgar studied his brother with an amused grin. Waiting until Norman had a mouthful of coffee, Edgar began his interrogation.

"So, brother. You're going to be a dad this coming spring. How's it feel?" Choking as he accidentally inhaled the coffee, Norman glared at Edgar through watering eyes. A tense few moments passed before Norman regained his breath and he leaned back with closed eyes. He wiped the tears that had leaked beneath his eyelids as he breathed deeply and let his thoughts drift back to Renée waiting for him in Seattle. The smile that spread unconciously across his face provided the men with their answer. Laughter and an elbow prodding his ribs brought Norman back to the present. Polishing off the remainder of his Hot Pocket and washing it down with coffee, Norman followed his crewmates back outside.

Renée and the babies faded to the back of his mind as he once again took up his place at the rail. They weary crew hauled gear for the next fifteen hours and by the time the feeble daylight lightened the stormy skies, Sig finally relented and allowed his men the rest they deserved.

"Okay, this is the last pot. Haul and set it back and then get some sleep." Norman smiled with a faint laugh as Edgar sarcastically rolled his eyes with a heavily breathed 'finally'. So focused in tossing the hook into the strong headwind, Norman missed the prolonged scream of the buzzer until after the hook was loosed from his hand. Seconds later he was engulfed in a blanket of frothy seawater and slammed across the deck. He felt something give in his wrist as it slammed against the portside rail.

Struggling against the water as it pulled him back towards the starboard rail, Norman caught himself on the sorting table and coughed up the water forced into his lungs. He struggled to rise when another prolonged buzzing broke through the ringing in his ears and he looked up numbly as another wall of water hit him with full force. Norman scrambled for purchase on the slick deck and a scream was torn from his throat as he felt himself lifted up over portside rail.

****

Jerking awake, drenched in a cold sweat, Renée struggled to control her frantic heartbeat and fumbled for the cordless phone resting on the nightstand. Pushing herself into an upright position, she punched in June's number with trembling fingers and prayed the woman answered. By the time June's sleepy voice answered, Renée was sobbing incoherently and June struggled to understand her.

"Renée? Slow down sweetie, what about Norman? No, I haven't heard anything from Sig. I know they've been having some bad weather, but everyone was fine when I talked to Sig last week. All right, give me ten minutes to get some clothes on and I'll come over. I'll see you soon." Hanging up, June threw on something decent and scrawled a note for Mandy and Nina before grabbing her purse and car keys. Twenty minutes later, June and Renée were sitting at Norman's kitchen table. With a trembling voice, Renée told June the nightmare that had plagued her dreams all week. Finishing, she scrubbed the tears from her eyes and swallowed hard.

"The worst part is that I never told him I love him…" Unable to continue speaking, Renée covered her mouth with a shaking hand and the tears poured out. June sat there, holding Renée's free hand comfortingly, unconsciously rapping her knuckles against the polished wood table beneath their hands.

"I should be getting another weather report today, so when I give it to Sig, I'll ask after Norman and the others. I remember getting nightmares almost every night those first few years Sig and I were married and those dreams were worse when I was pregnant with the girls, so I know a little bit of what you're feeling right now. He'll be all right, you'll see. When we go meet them at the dock in another month, I'll bet Norman'll be there at the rail searching for you."

Sniffling, Renée choked back the lingering sobs and nodded, forcing a smile at June's insistence of Norman's safety. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before letting it rest on her belly. At five and a half months along, she knew her continued anxiety wasn't good for the health of the babies she carried or for herself. _I'm just so grateful for June and Louise's kindness and understanding. I don't know what I would do without them._

June sat with Renée and talked about her experiences with childbirth and what Renée had to look forward to in the next few months leading up to and after delivery. Reassuring the nervous woman that she and Louise, as well as the other wives, were there for her anytime, June followed Renée upstairs and helped her back to bed.

"I'll pick you up after I get off the phone with Sig later this morning and I'll let you know what he says before we run our errands. Try to get some sleep." After Renée drifted off with Njord's body pressed against her side, June locked up the house behind her and returned home. Later that morning, she hung up the phone after talking with her husband and sat at the kitchen table, mouth covered with both hands as she digested the events Sig had relayed to her in a mixture of Norwegian and English. A tear trickled between her fingers and she flinched as her daughters hugged their mother comfortingly.

Motioning for them to sit, June relayed what their father told her about Norman. Silence fell in the Hansen house as each ashen woman struggled to come to grips with the near loss of their brother-in-law and uncle.

"Poor Renée…what are you going to tell her? I mean she still expects Uncle Norman to walk off the boat next month when we meet them in Dutch. She's going to be crushed…" Mandy's voice trailed off, as her mother's expression grew more pained with each word. "Mom, I'm sorry." June nodded as her daughter apologized, and squeezed her hand with a barely whispered 'thank you'.

****

In the pale half-light of dawn, Renée stood on the docks alone. Snow drifted softly around the woman bundled against the cold as she stared out at the empty breakwater separating Dutch Harbor from the Bering Sea. When June told her that Norman had been badly injured and nearly lost overboard last month, Renée had fallen into a depression that nearly sent her into an early labor.

_I shouldn't be here. The doctor said it was too dangerous…but I need to see him._ Although the early morning chill numbed her limbs, she fought the urge to return to the warm bar where the other family members were gathered. She knew the _Northwestern_ wouldn't arrive until later that morning, but her worry and fear rooted her booted feet to the snowy dock.

"I just got off the phone with Sig…he says that Norman's looking better now that he knows you're here watching for him." Renée wiped away the tears that spilled down her cheeks before accept the mug of steaming cocoa from June as she joined the lonely woman in her vigil. The occasional call from the community's resident bald eagles broke the silence and Renée was grateful for June respecting her need for silent thought. She took comfort in her friend's presence and she sighed heavily. Watching her billowing breath disappear, Renée took a sip of the cocoa and smiled sadly.

"Norman proposed to me before he left in October. Well, he said it really wasn't a real proposal…it was more like he wanted me to know that he loved me and that he wanted to marry me, but he was willing to wait until I was ready. He said he knew I'd been hurt by other men and didn't want to rush me into something I wasn't ready for." Not knowing what to say, June wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders and hugged her.

The rest of the morning passed by quickly for Renée, surrounded by friends as she was, and before she knew it, the boat she'd been praying to see pulled through the rapidly thinning fog and into view. Straining her eyes, she struggled to make out the faces in the wheelhouse windows. As the boat drew closer, Renée's face brightened and she whispered so softly that June almost missed what she'd said.

"I'm going to say yes…when he asks again, I'm going to say yes."


	7. Chapter 7: A Matter of Time

Sitting in the co-captain's chair, Norman's attention was glued to the harbor before them. Although the skies had remained overcast all morning and a low fog lingered over the water's surface, the seas had calmed and the snow ceased. Absently sliding a finger under the edge of the makeshift cast supporting his shattered wrist, he struggled to scratch the itch produced by healing bones.

He flinched as he belatedly caught sight of Sig's spiral bound notebook sailing across the wheelhouse and, having ducked in the nick of time, smacked against his shoulder. Glaring at his brother, Norman turned silently back to staring out the windows, searching the distant shore. "What the hell happened up here? This place is a mess…" Edgar held up his hands defensively, widening his eyes with a half-sarcastically mouthed 'sorry' as Norman trained his dark glare on him and bent to retrieve the notebook and half-dozen pencils scattered across the wheelhouse floor. Returning the items to Sig, Edgar motioned to the sickly green bruise under the skipper's left eye.

"How's the shiner?" The youngest brother grinned as his question earned him a dark look that asked 'are you serious?' When Sig failed to humor him with an answer, Edgar sighed and flopped his arms against his sides in exasperation. "Oh, get a grip, Sig. It was an accident…none of us saw it coming, not even _you._" Quickly retreating a couple steps as Sig rounded on his brother with dark blue eyes flashing, Edgar felt fear for the first time in a month.

"Get a _grip_, Edgar?! We nearly fucking lost Norman _and_ Jake and you're telling me to get a _fucking_ grip?! When you sit in this chair and watch as your men are nearly washed over the side –"

"Stop it, both of you. I'm sick of listening to you go after each other like this. Yeah, Jake and I nearly died, but we _didn't_. Jake gets to go back to his parents and sisters and I get to hold Renée again…and in another month we'll _all_ be able to come back for Opies." Both Sig and Edgar fell silent as Norman's hoarse voice interrupted Sig's tirade before lapsing into a coughing spasm that racked his body. His brothers were tense with worry as they waited for the coughing spell to subside. The storm that nearly claimed the two fishermen had lasted longer than forecasted, making an air rescue an impossible feat and forced Sig to stabilize his brother with limited supplies. By the time the weather had cleared, the _Northwestern _was ready to enter the harbor.

Soon, Norman's raspy breath was the only audible sound in the wheelhouse as the silence lengthened and the three men watched the docks of Dutch Harbor grow larger. While Sig focused on pulling in safely, Edgar retreated to the deck to help Nick and Matt secure the fenders between steel hull and wooden dock and Jake struggled to manhandle the line to the dockworker with just one arm; the young man's other arm, broken in the storm that nearly claimed Norman, was secured to his chest with a sling.

When Sig finally killed the engine, he followed Norman's gaze to the pale, golden-haired woman and smiled as he finished securing the wheelhouse. "She's looking good isn't she? Just think…in another couple months, she'll be standing there with a baby in her arms and another in a stroller waiting for us to return from Opies."

Relief flooded through the skipper as he saw the thoughtful smile brighten Norman's pasty-pale face. Giving his brother's shoulder a proud yet gentle pat, he followed the injured man downstairs and onto deck. Fighting the pain that threatened to overcome him, Norman climbed over the rail with Edgar and Matt's help. He managed three steps forward before Renée wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Norman gritted his teeth as his ribs complained against the tight embrace.

"I missed you so much," Renée whispered into his ear before gently kissing his bruised cheek. She stepped back and smiled as he rubbed his uninjured hand over her belly, watching as the stress of the season began to disappear from his bearing. Norman fought back a groan as he knelt before her and touched his forehead to Renée's belly, his soft voice barely audible as he spoke to the twins she was carrying.

"C'mon Norm; the sooner we get you examined, the sooner I'll relax. Hey! Will you stop scratching at your wrist already? You're just going to make it worse. If you keep messing with it, I'll break your fingers!" Sig growled as Norman once again dug at the annoying itch within his wrist, earning a scowl as Norman struggled to his feet with Renée's help. Limping to the waiting truck, already laden with the men's gear, he slid into the front passenger seat with a wince. Turning back to Renée, he kissed her before she shut the door and pulled the seatbelt across his chest, holding it steady as Sig snapped it into place. He flashed Renée an encouraging smile as Sig drove to the clinic for one last check up before catching their flight to Seattle.

****

"We took some pretty nasty waves last month and Norman got knocked off his feet by a really bad one. He managed to get back up, but we got slammed again and he got knocked over the port rail. Somehow, I don't know _how_, but _some_how he managed to hang onto the rail long enough for Nick to pull him back on deck." Sig, Edgar, June and Louise were seated around Norman's kitchen table with Renée, desert plates forgotten in the kitchen sink as Edgar explained how Norman was injured. They had finished dinner and desert over an hour ago, and at the encouragement of everyone, Norman excused himself to go to bed. Renée sat in silence as she processed the ordeal Edgar just described, playing with the linen napkin in her lap before looking back to the fishermen before her.

"But he's all right though? I mean, I know his wrist was shattered and a couple ribs were broken and bruised, but other than that, he's okay, right?" Edgar merely shrugged with raised eyebrows and glanced at Sig, who cleared his throat.

"Well, aside from that and this last bit of pneumonia, yeah. I doubt he'll be ready to go back to work in a week and a half, but if he is that's _great_ and if not…then _fine_. We'll just figure out how to manage without him."

"You _know_ he's going to be pissed at you if you leave without him, doctor's clearance or not." Sig sighed and rubbed at his forehead as Edgar voiced thoughts similar to his own, shrugging wearily.

"But what can I do? I mean, come on…think about it. He doesn't run the boat except rarely when both you _and_ Roman aren't tendering. Unless he starts regaining his strength right this minute, he's not going to be strong enough to do much deck work except maybe running the block. Even then, I'm not sure I'm willing to put him back out there that soon."

****

_**The opilio season was just hours old and he was resting while the others were playing games. He'd just fallen into a deep sleep when a hand jerked him awake. Staring blankly up at the devestated look on Edgar's face, Norman winced against the pain as he rolled from his bunk and quickly went into the wheelhouse. The sight of Sig rubbing at tear-reddened eyes sent Norman's heart dropping like a rock.**_

_**"What? What's going on?" Sig jerked at Norman's raspy questions and sighed heavily. Wiping his eyes again, Sig rose and went to stand near his brother. His voice broke as he related the news to him.**_

_**"I just got off the phone with June. Renee went into labor late last night, and delivered two boys this morning. Um…shit. Norm, the babies didn't make it."**_

Jerking awake, panting for breath with a cold sweat running down his spine, Norman half rose in bed. He peered around the dark room of his house in Seattle and slowly became reoriented with his surroundings. Laying back down, he turned his head and smiled. Renee was sleeping peacefully next to him, stirring slightly when Norman lightly touched her still round belly. Whispering softly into the darkness, he spoke to the babies growing inside her.

"Hold on. You only have three more months to go. Just hold on for three more months, please."

****

**Sorry this is so short, but it felt like it needed to be short...you know? I'm back from my vacation, and so I was able to finish proofing Chapter 6 and finish writing this chapter and begin Chapter 8. Sorry if the stats seem kinda wonky...I just can't remember the numbers for the nasty weather. Point is...weather is really nasty and stays nasty until they get into port. Is it realistic, maybe not. Is it possible, yes. Plausible, eh... I dunno. But for drama's sake, we'll pretend the answers are all yes.**


	8. Chapter 8: A New Beginning

Watching Norman expertly maneuver the pots into position, Sig battled with the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. With just twenty-four hours left before the season started, his crew was scrambling to finish preparations. He stood on the wheelhouse deck, arms folded across his chest as Edgar and Nick secured the last pot to the stack. As the two men climbed down to join Norman and the cameraman on deck, Sig turned and returned to his charts and plotter.

Hours later, on their twelve hour run to the grounds, Edgar handed Sig a mug of black coffee before settling into the co-captains chair.

"Norman's passed out and Junior's not far behind him. I still find it hard to believe that _both_ were cleared to work. I mean, Jake's cast isn't supposed to come off for another two weeks and Norm's another month after that. Not to mention he's _still_ trying to get his strength back and put weight back on. This season's gonna be hell on him…" Edgar trailed off with a heavy sigh and tried to relax. Sig remained silent, only acknowledging his brother's words with a nod.

Neither man wanted to dwell on the future's unlimited possibilities, thinking just far enough ahead to plan for the first few test strings. They sat in silence, ignoring the cameraman trying to weasel anything out of the grim-faced men. Finally he gave up and turned his handheld camera to the ocean outside.

****

After a week of struggling to develop a new rotation, the crew finally settled into a routine that best accommodated the healing men. Jake's natural positive attitude helped keep his friends' spirits high. From the moment Edgar's flaming hook caught the season's first pot, the crab gods appeared to be showing mercy on the _Northwestern's_ skipper and crew. Even Sig's natural pessimism couldn't dampen the good mood that the high crab counts brought him. Rapping his knuckles on the dash's wooden paneling, he turned to the cameraman.

"If-_if-_the numbers keep up like this we'll make it to our first offload earlier than we anticipated. Not that I'm counting the crab before they're caught, or anything. Chances are we probably _won't_, but the possibility is still out there." Glancing down at the monitor, he smiled as he watched Jake laugh at something Matt said while they shifted keeper after keeper into the holding tank.

"Jake's still favoring his left arm some, but it looks like its healing well so that's good. We want the bone to set and heal right so it won't be a problem as he gets older." Sig turned back to the ocean before him and rubbed the back of his neck wearily as he yawned.

Meanwhile, Jake, Matt and Nick laughed as Edgar tossed a couple crab legs at Norman, who smiled and shook his head at his youngest brother. When the gently tossed crab puck bounced off his shoulder, he caught it and threw it back at Edgar before silently flipping off his crewmates. He peered around the wheelhouse and squinted against the headwind. Spotting the bright orange buoy between a break in the waves, he turned back to the deck.

Laughing as he caught the puck, Edgar threw it overboard. As the string's last pot came up over the rail, Edgar watched as Norman maneuvered the block's controls. The injured man had quickly developed a system that would put the least strain on his healing wrist as possible. Jake's enthusiastic whoop brought Edgar back and he laughed at the young man's excitement.

Behind the block, Norman waited patiently as Nick and Matt cleared the pot of crab so Jake could secure the bait. At Sig's signal, he maneuvered the levers and the pot went crashing into the Bering Sea. Securing the block until they reached the next string, Norman went inside to refill his thermos with fresh coffee. When Sig hollered down for him to bring him up more coffee, he rolled his eyes and pulled a clean mug off the counter. With coffee in both hands, he went up into the wheelhouse and passed Sig his mug.

"I talked to June a little while ago. Renee is due to deliver in the next week or two. My question to you is this: what do you want to do? Do you want to try and be there or do you want to stay and fish?" Seeing the anxiety in Sig's eyes, Norman shook his head.

"I'd love to be there, but you need me here. She's in good hands. I trust June, Louise, Denise and Angela to take care of her." He took a sip from the thermos and smiled out the windows, "I'm proud of her. She's more relaxed now than she was when she first showed up. Happier too…" Sig chuckled.

"Well, yeah. Now that the asshole she'd been seeing is out of the picture, she'll have time to heal. You've been good for her, you know? She's really opened up since she moved in with you." Norman sighed as he leaned back against the drawers containing four generations of Hansen fishing charts, worry etched into his face.

"But what if the kids resent me because I'm not their real dad? And if Renee says yes to my proposal, I want to adopt them as my own. I won't love them any less because I didn't father them, you know?" Sig nodded as he drank from the mug.

"Those are some pretty strong 'ifs', Norm. As far as the kids go, I don't expect any less of you…you know that. Look, we're scheduled to offload in Saint Paul in three days. When we dock, call Renee and talk to her. Let her know how you feel. But I know you'll be a great dad."

Silence fell for a few moments as they kept an eye out for the next string. Norman found the first buoy bag before Sig and pointed it out. Turning to descend the stairs, he paused and turned back to Sig.

"Thanks for the talk…and the news." Sig smiled and waved him away.

"You're welcome. Just don't let it go to your head. You're not a dad yet. Any day now you will be…but just not yet." Both men laughed and Norman rejoined his crewmates on deck. The excited joy warmed Norman's cold body as the waiting game went into its final round. Despite the four other men's good-natured joking and teasing, Norman couldn't keep the happy smile from his face.

****

"Okay, Renee. I need you to take a deep breath and then push." The doctor smiled encouragingly at the red-faced woman struggling against the pain. June and Louise grimaced as Renee tightened her grip around their hands, but continued to whisper encouraging words into her ears.

An anguished scream escaped from deep in her throat as Renee pushed and fell back against the bed; panting for breath, she felt the first baby slide free. Louise wiped the sweat from Renee's forehead as shrill newborn cries filled the room. Without warning, the contractions started again and Renee arched her back in sudden pain.

Another two hours passed before Renee was able to hold her newborn sons. Cradled in her loving arms, the boys suckled greedily. A light fuzz of strawberry blond hair covered both boys' heads. Dark circles under her eyes marked her fatigue, but Renee couldn't sleep. June's light touch on her shoulder broke through her weary thoughts and she turned to look up at her friend.

"Sig wants to talk to you." Renee took the phone and greeted the skipper.

"_The guys say 'hi mom!' and congratulations. We're all proud of you, but Norman's the proudest. June said you have two boys that look exactly like you. Have you named them yet?"_ Renee smiled and looked at the infants again.

"Thank you. I haven't named them yet, but I have a couple names in mind. Did Norman mention any names he wanted?" Listening as Sig repeated her question she could hear Norman's voice in the background before the crew laughed. Sig repeated Norman's suggestion, the smile audible in his voice.

"He said that you should pick the two names you like the best and use them for first names, and then use the two names you like the second best for middle names." Sig paused a moment and laughed at something Norman said. "He just said that you could always name one of the boys after him." Renee smiled and laughed warmly.

"I just might do that. How much longer before you guys come home?" A slight pause hung in the air as Sig mentally calculated the timeframe.

"We should have our quota in a couple more weeks, so I'm looking at maybe three weeks max. I'll have a more accurate estimate by the end of this week and I'll have June let you know. Hey, Norman wants to talk to you before I hang up, so I'll pass the phone on to him. I'm proud of you, Renee. Here he is." Renee murmured a thank you as Sig handed his brother the satellite phone changed hands and she heard Norman's soft moan as he settled into the captain's chair.

"_Hey Renee, I miss you. How are you and the babies holding up?"_ Renee wiped away a tear as June took a slumbering infant from his mother's chest and burped him. Doing the same with the other baby, she sighed in relief at hearing Norman's voice speaking directly to her.

"I miss you too. We're all doing well. I'm pretty tired, but they're beautiful. I like your idea…about naming one of the boys after you. How do Norman Joseph and Andrew James sound to you?" Swallowing hard as she heard Norman saying the names she'd chosen aloud, a smile softened her fatigued features and she nodded to June. June grinned and went to the door and called over the attending nurse. Letting him know that names had been agreed upon, she waited near the door while he went to grab the small stack of paperwork for each boy. With Renee's permission, June started filling out the information she knew about both Norman and Renee.

"_I should get going. We're leaving Saint Paul and heading back out to the grounds. I'll see you in a couple weeks. I love you, Renee, you and Norman and Andrew."_ Renee smiled as she said the words she'd wanted to say for a long time, "I love you too."


	9. Chapter 9: If You're Going Through Hell

The weather remained cooperative for three days after Norman spoke with Renée. The fourth morning dawned with rough seas and dwindling crab counts. With mounting frustration, Sig pointed the _Northwestern_'s bow towards the grounds far to the north. He hated dropping gear so close to the ice, but something told him that's where he needed to go. During the eight hour run, he ignored Edgar's unhappy grumbling and sulked alone in the wheelhouse.

Setting the three ten pot strings of testers dangerously close to the ice, Sig ordered his weary crew to beat the thickening blanket of ice threatening to swamp the boat. While the five men battled the ice, Sig battled his own fatigue as he turned back south to check on another string. Grabbing the pack of cigarettes from it's nest of Kit Kat wrappers by the throttle, he swore darkly as he flipped open the lid. With another dark curse, he chucked the empty carton across the wheelhouse.

The cameraman flinched with each curse, a soft breath of air hissed past his lips as the cigarette carton smacked against his ankle. He knew the irritable skipper wasn't aiming to hit him and he held his silence to avoid bringing Sig's ire down upon his shoulders. Another wince scrunched his pale features as a large wave crashed viciously against the forward facing windows. He glanced over at the dash above Sig's head as the five handsets rattled against the force of the wave.

Oblivious to the wheelhouse cameraman's struggle to control his fear, the five fishermen struggled against the wind and waves in order to free their boat from the Bering Sea's icy grip. Each man avoided the boat's bow, unwilling to face the dangerous task of clearing the bow. They exchanged a worried look as Sig's rough voice came over the loudhailer.

"This bow isn't getting any clearer! Somebody get your ass up there and get that ice off my bow!" Edgar hollered up a 'roger' out of habit and winced as he realized his unwilling mistake. Rolling his eyes to the cameraman, he flashed the camera a sarcastic grin that looked more like a grimace than a smile.

"Guess I just volunteered myself for a beating. Anyone wanna join me? Norman, I wasn't serious…damn it, I was being sarcastic!" Throwing a confused glance back at the four remaining men, Edgar hastily hurried after his brother as he limped up to the bow. The two brothers settled into a routine as they began their aggressive attack against the growing ice.

Three hours dragged painfully on before Edgar and Norman made their way back down to the relative safety of the deck. Pulling the hatch closed behind them, Edgar hung his dripping rain gear and hoodie next to Matt's and joined his friends at the galley table. The deck boss was sitting for less than a full minute before finding himself flying across the galley into the cabinet door and succumbed to the blackness.

Seconds later, the sounds of alarms blaring roused the semi-conscious man and he rubbed the back of his head with a groan. He gazed around the dark galley, head swimming as he struggled to find the source of the alarms. Edgar's eyes settled on the swinging door leading to the engine rooms and his heart pounded in fear as he scrambled to his feet and down into the boat's belly.

Water sloshed around his ankles as he joined Norman and Matt. Squeezing past Matt, he leaned over Norman's shoulder to peer at the slack pumps.

"What the hell's going on here?" Edgar yelled above the alarms. Norman lifted a shoulder as he skillfully inspected the equipment before him.

"Pumps are dead, engine's dead…and if we don't get this shit fixed, so are we!" Norman shouted back as he adjusted the headlamp's beam. Jake, Nick, and the deck cameraman soon joined them and before long the six men were working through the pain of their injuries to save the boat. Nick, Jake, and the cameraman bailed water while Matt moved between Norman and Edgar to deliver tools or helping either man with repairs. By the time the crew was able to clear the engine room of its watery load and make temporary repairs, the weather lessened enough to allow the men to crawl into their bunks. Barely an hour passed before the stateroom phone began ringing and Jake dragged himself from his bunk to answer it. With a wince, he held the receiver away from his ear as Sig's irritable voice pierced the quiet; a lopsided grin crossed his face as Edgar lifted his head from the pillow cradled in his arms and scowled nastily at the youngest deckhand.

"What he fuck does he want now?" Edgar muttered as Jake put the phone back to his ear and, answering softly, threw on a dry shirt and hoodie. Pausing on his way out of the stateroom, he answered the deck boss's question.

"He needs a break, so I'm going up for wheelwatch. I'll be back in a couple hours." He laughed softly as Edgar waved a hand blindly in his general direction, having already returned his head to the pillow with closed eyes. Closing the door gently behind him on his sleeping friends, Jake climbed the wheelhouse stairs and stood in front of the manual steering wheel. When Sig failed to move from his chair, Jake cleared his throat and the skipper jumped. Aiming a dark glare at the young man, Sig rose and switched places with him. He took a moment to explain where the string he wanted to check was.

"If we reach the string before I'm back, get Edgar to come up and take over. Either way, I want someone to get me up in four hours." Jake merely nodded his understanding while hiding a huge yawn behind his hand. Sig laughed humorlessly and ruffled Jakes shaggy hair before making his way to bed.

****

Slowly drifting into wakefulness, Norman opened his eyes and stared up at the bunk above him. He rolled from his bunk and threw on a pair of sneakers before staggering into the galley to fix a pot of coffee. He leaned against the counter; brows furrowed in a confused frown as he pondered over the unsettling feeling that woke him. He stared at the engine room door with an unfocused gaze and failed to see Matt trotting in from the deck to fix up a quick meal.

Matt paused, surprised to see Norman standing in the galley with a disoriented look on his face and momentarily entertained the thought of scaring him back into reality. He instantly tossed the idea away when Norman's blank eyes flicked to him. Instead he went about his original mission of cooking and greeted his friend.

"Hey, we've just been through two strings. We're gonna haul one more string before we head in to offload." Norman silently filled a mug from the steaming pot of coffee and held the pot out to Matt, who shook his head as he fiddled with the contents of a skillet. He winced as a stream of scalding fluid raced down his throat and coughed against the pain. He caught the concerned look Matt tried to hide as the coughs subsided and cleared his throat.

"How long was I asleep for?" Matt kept his gaze on the skillet, dark brown eyes flicking once to the engineer before returning to the food.

"You don't look so good, Norman. Maybe you should go lay back down…"

"_I said_…how long was I out?" Matt suppressed a shiver as Norman's low, gravelly growl grated along the deckhand's spine. Setting the meal on low until he could return to it, he answered his friend's question.

"Two days, you were out for two days. But…damn it Norman! We need you to get healthy more than we need you on deck right now!" Matt's protests went unheeded as Norman limped to the ready room and struggled into his rain gear before stepping out on deck with Matt hard on his heels. A strong gust of sleet-filled wind sent Norman sliding across the deck and into Nick. Both men crashed to the deck with a curse and Norman rolled to the side with a groan, leaving Nick flat on his back and rubbing the back of his head.

Jake and Matt helped their friends to their feet, Jake hovering anxiously near Norman until he was mostly certain he would keep his feet. Norman scowled up at the wheelhouse, as Sig's voice demanded the engineer wear a life vest for the remainder of his time on deck boomed out over the storm. With a sour mood, Norman secured the vest around his chest before taking over control of the block from his youngest brother. His sour mood deepened when, five pots later, Sig turned the _Northwestern_ back towards Saint Paul and called Norman into the wheelhouse.

Climbing through the hatch, Norman didn't bother to remove his dripping rain gear as he trudged up the stairs. Collapsing onto the bench near the stairwell, he shoved the hoods from his damp head and watched silently as Sig throttled through a cresting wave. The sensation of freefalling into the ditch sent the engineer's empty stomach flipping and Norman squeezed his eyes shut with a nauseous moan.

"Turn the fucking cameras off, take your fucking LAVs, and get the fuck out of my wheelhouse." The color drained from the cameraman's face as he fumbled to catch the small microphone Sig tossed at him before quickly powering down all the wheelhouse cameras and making a hasty retreat to the galley. The brothers sat in an uneasy silence as the moments dragged by, neither wanting to broach the subject needing to be discussed. Finally, Sig sighed heavily and dragged his left hand back through his hair. Pulling a drag from his cigarette, he slowly exhaled the smoke and peered through the pale blue haze into the stormy scene before him.

"I'm tempted to just leave you behind in Saint Paul when we offload." The sound of the waves crashing around the boat was nearly deafening in Norman's stunned silence and he gaped at Sig's profile.

"What? Why? You need me here." Sig snorted humorlessly at his brother's protests.

"Bullshit, Norman. You were unconscious for the past two _fucking_ days! You're slowly killing yourself out here, and for what? Your stupid, Goddamned Norwegian pride? Get the fuck over yourself." Sig chanced a glance at Norman to gauge his reaction. Norman's pale face reddened as he struggled to control his sudden surge of anger, mouth moving silently as he fought to organize his thoughts. Sig's voice softened as he continued, "Right now, Renée needs you more than we do…and I think you need _her_ more than you need the work. If our numbers are right, we ought to be heading home in a week and a half anyways. We can manage a week of fishing without you."

Norman's mouth thinned into a tense line, narrowed eyes focused on the rough seas beyond the bow doing nothing to quench his nausea and only fueling the disappointment dragging him down. Taking a moment to think on his brother's words, he slowly nodded as he accepted Sig's threat and slid to his feet. Feeling the boat shudder under the force of another wave slamming off the stern, his earlier disappointment melted into an all too familiar unease.

A trail of white foam snuck up on the unsuspecting boat and the rouge wave reared its ugly head at the last second before slamming into the starboard side, sending Norman crashing into the wall. As the boat righted herself, Norman's groggy brain barely registered the sensation of cold water trickling down the back of his neck nor the warmth trailing down his temple. He groaned as Sig's voice pierced his throbbing head and his eyes flickered open. In a daze and with vision swimming, Norman cradled his head from where he sat slumped between wall and chair.

Nick raced up the wheelhouse stairs with first aid kit in hand, ignoring the throbbing in his own head and shoulder. He snatched the flashlight Sig tossed to him and knelt next to his semi-conscious friend, administering basic first aid before yelling down for someone to help him move Norman. Jake appeared up the stairs and his eyes widened at the sight of Norman's condition before he grabbed hold of the older man's feet. Both men paused in the stairwell as Sig spoke aloud, mostly to himself and punched June's number into the sat phone.

"That's it…he's getting off at Saint Paul and he's _staying_ off! While the crab is being offloaded, I'm taking his sorry ass to the hospital and then shipping him straight to Seattle!" Nick shared a confused glance with his nephew and shrugged awkwardly as they continued down the stairwell and into the stateroom Norman shared with them and Matt. They hefted the glassy eyed man into bed and, once Jake returned with the first aid kit, Nick set about stitching up the cut on his friend's pale face while Jake returned to the galley and helped Edgar, Matt and the two cameramen pick up the mess.

****

Hushed voices swam around in the blackness. The steady mechanical beeping of equipment grated on his nerves and the occasional coo of infants confused him. He struggled to emerge from his dark stupor, his efforts earning him a soft shushing and a gentle hand on his burning forehead. His brain struggled to put a name to the voice and touch, but he succumbed to the black void before he could summon the name.

Renée sat beside Norman's still form, chewing worriedly at her lip during her vigil. Although he was stabilizing quickly and his previous injuries were halfway healed, the added strain of fresh injuries sustained during the hellish season put his healing on hold. Every day Renée sat by his side, holding a one-sided conversation with the man floating in and out of consciousness.

With one arm wrapped protectively around Andrew, Renée brushed hair from Norman's brow for the umpteenth time. Her fingertips brushed lightly over the stitches in his forehead, and a soft moan issued from his parted lips. Renée smiled sadly as his head turned weakly into her gentle caress and his eyes cracked open. She shifted the slumbering infant in her arm so Norman could get a better look.

"This is Andrew James. Norman Joseph is sleeping in the car seat next to me, but he looks exactly like Andrew. Except that Andrew has lighter hair than little Norman. But other than that, they're identical." Norman grinned as Andrew yawned and blinked owlishly at the man lying before him. Reaching a hand out, he laughed softly as the infant curled a tiny fist around his finger and tried putting it in his mouth. Andrew squealed a laugh and squirmed with excitement at the added attention; hearing his brother laughing, Norman Joseph began fussing and squirming against the car seat's restraints.

"Could I hold Andrew while you get Norman?" Norman's heart went out to Renée as he saw her sudden uncertainty. His smile brightened with relief as she carefully lowered Andrew to his chest and the man tenderly wrapped his arms around the tiny babe, gazing down at him with sleepy eyes. _They were right…Andrew looks nothing like Vince did. He looks almost exactly like Renée._ Norman tore his gaze from the infant in his arms to see Renée nursing her second born son. He looked away with a blush, which earned him a kind yet equally shy laugh from Renée.

"It's okay, Norman, I don't mind. Hey, I think Andrew likes you…it looks like he fell back…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed Norman had drifted off to sleep as well. Careful so as not to disturb her nursing son, she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the slumbering man's forehead. She returned to her chair by his side and sang a whispered lullaby to her three sleeping loves.

****

**A/N: When Norman was originally injured during the King season, he'd developed bacterial pneumonia that had never fully gone away. But I promise I'm letting him heal fully this time around. If anyone wants a definite timeline, the last section takes place over a period of two or three weeks. I realize that getting a smooth flow of time is something that needs to be worked on. **

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter written. I needed to just step away from it for a little bit and the ending kinda fell into place after that. The story's ending is coming up....but I'm not sure how many chapters it'll take. At this moment, I'm thinking one but don't quote me on that. Hehe.**

**Thank's for reading and thanks for your reviews and comments. Just to reiterate, I make no money whatsoever from these stories. I do not own any actual people, places, places or businesses/objects. Renee, her babies and other family, Njord, Vince and Amy are my creations; Amy is just because I can't remember Edgar's daughter's name for the life of me. Reviews and constructive critiques/criticsisms are welcome and appreciated.**

**This chapter's title is borrowed from a country song by the same title. The song is property of the singer, songwriter, and producer. I am gratefully borrowing the song as it appears to be an apt description of the chapter.**

Copyright 2009 to Alissa Franko

* * *


	10. Chapter 10: Family to the Rescue

"Daddy, daddy! Guess _what_?! Ungle Sig let me'n Andy drive the boat! And Ungle Eggar let me help him make brefkist! Ungle Matt showed me to make knots and Ungle Nick let me help him put the groceries away. When's Ungle Jake gonna get here?" Norman laughed as his four and half year old adopted son came running across the deck babbling with excitement. Stepping aboard, he slid his rough hands under Norman Joseph's armpits and hefted the little boy high; squealing with delight, he collapsed into giggles as his father caught him and hugged him close while tickling his ribs.

"You did? Wow, I'm proud of you Little Man! Did you guys leave any 'brefkist' for me? You didn't…well; I'll just have to fix myself up something. C'mon, Joey, I'll let you help me too."

"I'm not a baby kangaroo, daddy! I'm a Joseph!" Setting the giggling boy back down, he shooed him back through the hatch with a laughed "So you are" and following the boy, closed it behind him. Although the boy's first name was technically the same as his adoptive father's, the use of his middle name had been found easier. Norman rounded the counter separating the galley kitchen from the table and poured himself a thermos full of fresh coffee before going to stand in front of the table; watching Joseph drawing a picture on an over-sized doodle pad, a proud smile lingered on his face. He jerked and blinked as a marker smacked him in the face, brows furrowing as he looked between the deckhand struggling to maintain an innocent look and the boy with his mouth hanging open in mock disbelief. Joseph drew in a slow gasp, a mischievous smile revealing a missing tooth.

"Ooh, Ungle Matt…mommy's not gonna be happy you throwed markers!" Joseph squealed with laughter as Norman scowled and repeated his words while folding is arms across his chest and stepping closer to the table.

"Mommy's not gonna be happy, _mommy's _not gonna be happy'? What about daddy? I'm the one who got brained by the silly marker! Hmmm?" Pressing against Matt for protection, the boy beamed with laughter as Norman advanced; seeing his father slide towards him with a playful grin, he tried crawling over Matt in an attempt to escape certain tickles. Matt's fingers squirmed over Joseph's belly and he writhed in glee at the unexpected attack. Norman collapsed on the bench, doubled over in laughter as the marker clutched in his hand kept accidentally touching Matt's face. By the time Matt finally let Joseph flop on the bench, his face was dotted with blue ink.

Hearing the commotion in the galley below, Sig exchanged a confused look with his nephew Andrew. The skipper was at his chair, once again updating his computerized charts while Andrew knelt on the bench and leaned on his forearms as he studied the charts his uncle had rolled out for him. As the noise seemingly subsided, Sig went to stand before the charts with pencil in hand. Sighing, he studied the well-used charts with narrowed eyes before glancing at the boy next to him. He laughed as he noticed Andrew mimicking his posture and glare perfectly.

The sounds of screeching brakes and slamming doors caught Sig's attention and he turned to look down at the docks. An icy sensation trickled down his spine as he recognized the man confronting Renée. He could hear their raised voices, but the words were carried in the opposite direction by the breeze. Shushing Andrew's confused questions, the skipper beckoned the boy to follow him and they descended to first flight of stairs to the landing. Sig lifted the stairs and told Andrew to crawl into the storage space. The boy did as bidden and scooted back in the furthest corner.

"Stay quiet and out of sight until me, your dad, or Uncle Ed come to get you. Do _NOT_ move until one of us comes to get you. Do you understand me, Andrew? Good, I'm going to lower the ladder now, but one of us will come to get you when it's safe to come out." Satisfied that his nephew was well hidden, Sig descended into the galley and informed Norman of his fiancé's and soon to be father-in-law's sudden appearance. Smiles and laughter disappearing in an instant, Norman and Matt were standing nearly as quickly.

Taking Joseph by the hand, Norman led the boy to the dry storage pantry and knelt down as he moved aside some partially emptied boxes. He motioned his son to crawl into the little crawlspace Joseph had claimed as his own two years ago; helping him get settled, Norman repeated Sig's words to the frightened boy. With a gentle hand cupping Joseph's cheek, he tried to quell his son's fear with a reassuring smile.

"I'll be back for you soon, Little Man. I just have to help your uncles with something…" Raised voices followed by the muffled thump of a body hitting the deck outside brought both heads swiveling in the hatch's direction. Standing with a growing knot in his stomach, he quickly flipped out the stateroom light and closed both doors to a crack. Norman caught a sudden movement from the corner of his eye and stopped, catching Renée as she stumbled in through the hatch.

A shrill sob died in her throat as she found herself in someone's arms. In her panic, she lashed out against Norman, not realizing it was the man she loved. After backing him into a corner in the kitchen, his gentle voice broke through the fear clouding her mind. She stepped back, tears welling up in her pale eyes as she stared at him leaning against the counter with blood trickling from a split in his lip and cut along his cheekbone. A bruise was beginning to darken the flesh beneath the cut on his cheek, yet he was oblivious to any pain but hers.

"What happened, Renée? What did he do-" Norman's question was cut off by raised voices and the sounds of another scuffle and he pulled Renée into a protective embrace. Her voice trembled with fear as she whispered into his chest.

"Norm, are my boys safe? I don't want Daddy to find them…." Norman's tender affirmations of her children's safety did little to ease the fear gripping the mother's heart. Her good friend's next words brought a faint smile of appreciation to her lips.

"Your father will not only have to go through me, my brothers, and our crew to get to you and our sons, but he'll have to rip this boat to _pieces_ before he could even _find_ them. Joey and Andy were pretty much raised on this boat…they know it stem to stern nearly better than me, Ed and Sig put together! And we've lived on her through _three_ extensions!"

The sudden sound of metal crashing against metal as the hatch was thrown open brought the couple's head flinching up and the space of a single rapid heartbeat, Norman had placed himself between Renée and the men filing in. Sig's voice boomed in the silence as he screamed after the dock's security officers and the Ballard police who dragged Renée's limp father to the waiting ambulance.

"The next time that son of a bitch gets within _eyesight_ of Renée, her boys, or my boat and crew, he'll be _SWIMMING_ to _fucking_ prison! And that's _IF_ he's lucky enough to still be alive!" The hatch slammed closed behind Sig with a loud metallic _clang_ and he slumped onto the bench, wiping spit from his chin. He studied his crew, dark glare going darker as he noted Edgar and Matt's growing bruises and Nick's bloody nose. His gaze softened as his eyes settled on Renée, who was once again taking comfort in Norman's arms. Jake scooting in next to Nick at the table and grinning at something on the stairs behind him brought the skipper back to the moment.

Both Norman and Sig followed Jake's gaze and the middle Hansen brother waved a hand to the boy peering around the corner. With the cue to join the "family", the stateroom door swung open wide as Joseph joined the others as well. Burying their pale faces into Renée's waist, they silently took comfort in her embrace. Joseph turned his brown eyes towards Norman, worry and concern looking alien in the young boy's eyes.

"Why Daddy? Why was that angry man here yelling at everyone and making Mommy scared?" Norman swallowed hard, struggling think of an answer to his son's difficult question and failing to find one. Shaking his head, he knelt before the boy and spread his hands wide.

"I don't know, Little Man. I'm sorry, I wish I knew…But I do know that he won't be back ever again. I will not allow him to hurt you or Andy or your mother. Do you boys understand?" The twins nodded in unison and Andrew looked between his brother and father before making an unexpected confession. An uncertain and almost fearful look came over the boy and he seemed to pull into himself as he answered Joseph's question, staring up at Norman with tearing eyes.

"It's because Daddy isn't our real daddy. I heard Mommy and Daddy talking about it last night…our real daddy was a bad man and hurt Mommy…but now he's gone and so is the bad man that was just here." Eight pairs of surprised eyes settled on the boy and tears started streaming down his face before he turned to bury it in Renée's waist again. Silent sobs racked his body as Renée rubbed his small back with a soothing hand; looking over to Norman, her heart went out to him as she saw his face pale with dread. She opened her mouth to reassure him as well, but Joseph wrapped his arms around his namesake's neck in a defensive hug.

"Well, I only got one daddy, and this is him. He's the only daddy I want." Glancing at Andrew, he shared a grin with his twin who sniffled and nodded his agreement with a heartfelt 'me too'. Tears spilled down Norman's cheeks as he hugged Joseph tight. In an attempt to lighten the heavy mood, Joseph squirmed to be released and grabbed the doodle pad Nick slid across the table into the boy's reaching hand.

"I almost forgotted, Daddy! I drawed it for everyone, but Ungle Matt stoled my green marker 'fore I could finish." Holding it up proudly to Norman with a shooting glare at Matt, he waited for the laughter at Matt's explanations died down to continue. "Me and Andy made it after we heard Cap'n Hillst'ands and mister Scotty and mister Mike talking about one of their new jokes. I drawed it, but Andy made the words…"

Norman took the offered doodle pad and flipped through the drawings his boys painstakingly created. What started out as a small smile turned into a grin beaming with pride and he passed the pad to Edgar, who accepted it with a knowing smile before studying the drawings himself. Joseph and Andrew exchanged an excited grin as a mischievous glint shone in Edgar's eyes when he looked up. Folding his hands on top of the closed doodle pad, he leaned forward to meet the boys' brown and blue eyes.

"You, my boys, are geniuses! I want to hear about this plan of yours. And I'd like to hear all about this new joke you heard about…" The mood was lightened some as Andrew and Joseph took turns telling the story of how they heard the _Time Bandit's _captains and crew discuss a season-warming joke for their _Northwestern_ friends and the twins' own plan for thwarting and pranking the Alaskans.

****

"You have any idea what it says? Andy spends enough time with you, it's like he's becomming your clone or something." Sig took the drawing from Edgar later that night as they sat in the dimly lit wheelhouse. Twisting it every which way, the skipper finally shrugged and handed it back to Edgar. Cigarette smoke swirled around his head as he sat back in his chair.

"Not a clue. The kid's bright though...if his interest in the boat keeps up, he'll be running the boat before we know it. Joseph too. At least we wouldn't have to worry too much about the boat then....we could always let them buy her when they're old enough." He tried to ignore the frown that settled over his brother's face, knowing full well Edgar's hesitation in having his own sons learning the trade. When the silence became too heavy, Sig exhaled harshly and rolled his eyes at Edgar.

"Shit, Ed. They're only four and a half...it's not like we have to make that decision _tonight!_ There's plenty of time for them to grow up and make they're own choices. Hell, if they want to be doctors or lawyers, then they'll be doctors and lawyers. We're not pressuring them into anything." Edgar's dark brow raised slightly, the only indication of his holding back an argument. After a moment, he shrugged wearily and shook his head.

"I dunno. They're both bright kids....Andy's got your head for finding the crab and making charts. Joseph's got a hell of an eye for design and mechanics. Who knew four year olds could be so smart?"

********

**Sorry for the long delay in posting this update. I've been working in Yellowstone National Park and as it's the end of the season, my schedule is all crazy. So I'll try updating more on my one day off. The story is almost done, so thanks to all who've posted and I do apologize for the less than spectacular ending of this story. I'll do better in the next story, I promise. Sorry that this chapter is flat in it's ending, but I'm struggling in making it better and I wanted to get it up for you. **

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	11. Chapter 11: Freedom

"There's Cancer the Crab. There's supposed to be a nebula in it, the thing where stars are born I think, but I forget where." Following Joseph and Andrew's gaze up at the clear summer sky, Norman studied the patterns the bright stars created against the inky blackness. He shook his head and squinted at the patch of stars Andrew pointed out.

"That's supposed to be a crab? Looks more like a funny looking 'Y' to me." Norman smiled as the boys rattled of more things they'd learned on their school's last field trip to a local observatory. When they paused for breath, he took advantage of the break to try and usher the twins towards bed.

"Tomorrow we're heading back to Dutch for our final offload and then back to Seattle for school. Third grade should be fun, huh?" A silence dragged on as Joseph shot a glance over his shoulder at Andrew, leaving Norman with an unsettled feeling in his stomach. Catching Joseph's eye, his frown deepened as the boy tried to wipe the unreadable expression from his face. The fisherman closed the door behind him and sat down on the floor near the back of the tiny storage room-turned stateroom the twins shared, staring at his booted feet as they got ready for bed.

"What's going on, boys? I thought you liked school…" Looking up as he heard sheets rustling, he studied the twins as they shared that unnerving look again. "C'mon guys, talk to me. If there's anything wrong, I need to know about it." Silence fell again as both boys struggled to put voice to their thoughts. Andrew finally broke the silence as he fingered the faded spine of a favorite book he carried with him everywhere.

"The kids at school keep asking why you and mom aren't married. And we can't give them a good answer 'cause we don't know…" He glanced up for help at Joseph who leaned over the edge of the upper bunk. Joseph's dark brows furrowed as he chose his words.

"They don't think you're our dad because Mom doesn't have your last name, even though me and Andrew do…we keep telling them you adopted us, but I don't think they believe us." Norman twisted to his knees and sat back on his heels. _'Damn, I was afraid this was going to happen.'_ Listening to the boys reveal their anxieties, his brows knotted and his frown deepened. Loosing himself in thoughts of how to fix the situation, he missed Andrew's solution to the problem. It was Joseph's well-aimed pillow and repeated 'dad' that brought Norman back.

"You didn't hear a word we said, did you?"

"Sorry Little Man…" Norman returned the pillow with a distracted look in his eyes. "What were you guys saying?"

"This year Halloween is on a Friday night and there's going to be a costume party for all the kids, and the parents are invited. Mom already signed all of us up, so you _hafta _be there this year. You already missed it the last two years…so you _can't_ miss it this year." The boys frowned at Norman's adamantly shaking head.

"Oh, come on, Dad! Why not?! You never come…okay, well, _hardly_ ever come…to anything for school. It's this one thing, and it's just for one night! Uncle Sig said he could meet you in Dutch Harbor when it was over. What could go wrong?"

Searching his sons' pleading faces, Norman struggled to explain.

"She could say 'no', that's what could go wrong…in front of the whole school, unless I could find somewhere private to ask her…Besides, it's not very romantic to ask her to marry me at a school dance." Joseph snickered as Andrew fought back a grin, and Norman leaned backwards, preparing to stand and leave. Hesitating, he grimaced and asked the boys to come out and tell him what they were hiding.

"It's not really a costume _party,_ it's a costume _ball_, like a masque… Everyone has to wear masks, so nobody'll really know it was you unless you took off your mask or told them." Looking from Andrew and Joseph, Norman's mouth worked silently as he thought over their plan. He rose, shaking a finger, and shot them a thoughtful glare.

"Edgar put you up to this, didn't he?" The boy's satisfied grins provided the answer he didn't want and he shook his head with a sigh from the back of his throat. As he opened the door and flipped out the light, the twins called out in unison.

"Thank you, Uncle Edgar!"

****

Staring at his reflection in the master bathroom, he tugged at the forest green waistcoat anxiously. The matching black suit jacket hung from the open door of his wardrobe; glaring over at it, he grimaced at Njord lying near the bathroom door. With a deep breath, he twisted the cap back on the toothpaste tube and stepped over the dog to pull on the long tailed dress jacket.

Knowing Louise, June and Renée were arriving together, he drove to the elementary school in silence. He pulled into the filled parking lot, blowing a heavy breath before twisting the key out of the ignition and sliding on the mask Andrew picked out for him. The slow walk to the gymnasium provided the fisherman time to settle the butterflies churning in his stomach. Patting the waistcoat's pocket, the butterflies rose up again en masse as he felt the ring tucked into the silken lining. With another deep breath he entered the filled room and began his slow search for Renée.

Working his way around the perimeter of the room, he passed parents and children he'd never met, and some he had. Finally he spotted Renée's telltale hair, neatly pinned up with the red-gold ends curling daintily around her neck. Swallowing hard, he excused himself from the parents of Andrew's best friend and pushed his way towards Renée. He met Louise's eye and she grinned brightly; he gave a slight shake of his head and she neatly excused herself for a refill of punch.

Renée smiled as she watched Norman study her a moment. The expression on his face was priceless; a sudden flash followed by a hoarsely whispered 'run!' broke the momentary spell and his eyes darkened before softening when he recognized Andrew and Joseph's retreating figures weaving through their classmates in the center of the room. Renée laughed and twined her fingers through his, pulling him close.

"They didn't mean anything by it. Look at them…they're so happy…" As Norman's eyes clouded over, Renée gently turned his face back towards her. His voice was soft and low as he spoke.

"How do Sig and Edgar do it? How do they deal with being a father…and a husband when they're gone for so long? I want to do right by you and the boys. They need a father…"

"Andrew and Joseph already _have_ a father…_you_, Norman. It's just not signed in ink yet. I don't know how Sig and Edgar manage, but they're doing a fine enough job with what time they have with their kids. And you're doing just as well. Joseph and Andrew adore you…and I do too." Squeezing his hand, she was relieved to see Norman relax a little. Louise rejoined the couple and they watched as several teachers shepherded the kids to the library for some movies and snacks.

For the first dozen songs, Norman remained standing at Renée's side and watched the other parents begin to dance. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Louise shoot him an inquiring glance. With a subtle shake of his head, his hand strayed to the pocket safeguarding the ring. He saw her roll her eyes and smiled. Waiting for the current song to end, he swallowed hard at his sister-in-law's encouraging nudge and nodded. Listening to the first few opening bars of the soothing song, he swallowed his anxiety and led Renée out onto the dance floor. As they danced, he mentally worked together his proposal again and again. Looking into her eyes, he lost track of the song and paused. Renée's confused look brought him back to the present and he reached into the pocket of his waistcoat.

"Do you remember the winter before the boys were born, I said I'd ask you to marry me when I got back from Opies that year? I know I never did, but now I want to make things right. So, uhm…" Sliding down to one knee, his hands trembled as he slid the mask off his face and took Renée's hand in his own. Seeing the tears threatening to fall caused his breath to seize in his throat; swallowing past the lump blocking his breath, he stared up at her and his voice cracked as he asked her the question haunting him for years.

"Renée, will you please marry me?"

****

"…You may now kiss the bride." Sealing his vows with a tender kiss, his family and friends cheering them, Norman stepped back and grinned at his new wife. Renée laughed warmly and squealed as Edgar aimed a can of silly-string at her and shot off a line of pastel colored foam. She ducked behind Norman, who raised an arm to deflect the string. Wadding it up in a ball, he chucked it back at Edgar who laughed and caught it.

Watching his two brothers goofing around, and then as his youngest nephews joined the fun, Sig wrapped a brotherly arm around Renée with a proud smile. He hugged her close before releasing her, returning his hands to his pants pockets.

"I'm proud of you Renée." His grin conveyed the skipper's meaning far better than his words, and Renée couldn't help but return his smile before turning back to watching her husband wrestling on the deck of his family boat with his brother and two sons. Calling it a draw, Norman sat up and met her gaze. She felt her smile brighten and for the first time, she truly felt free.

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**A/N: So this is the last chapter. I'm sorry if it fell flat, but I couldn't wait for my inspiration to come to my assistance....But all in all I'm fairly satisfied with how the story turned out. The title of the chapter is inspired by the song from the Nashville version of "The Prince of Egypt" soundtrack by the same name. Thanks for reading this and posting reviews. It was fun while it lasted. Once again, the only thing I own is the story and some of the characters/locations. All real people, organizations/operations, music and places belong to themselves and those that created them. I claim nothing but the creation of this story, and greatly appreciate being allowed to borrow said entities and creations. **

**Now I'm off to work and to planning the next Northwestern/Deadliest Catch related adventure.**

Story copyright Alissa Franko 2009


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